Hundreds are illegally detained by Bangladesh’s law-enforcement agencies: Human Rights Watch

Bangladesh’s law-enforcement authorities have illegally arrested and detained hundreds of people in secret detention since 2013, Human Rights Watch or HRW says in a report.

The 82-page report released on Thursday found that at least 90 people were victims of enforced disappearance in 2016 alone. In the first five months of 2017, 48 disappearances were reported. There are allegations of severe torture and ill-treatment while in secret custody, according to the report.

While most were produced in court after weeks or months of secret detention, HRW documented 21 cases of detainees who were later killed, and nine others whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The 90 cases include three sons of prominent opposition politicians who were picked up over several weeks in August 2016; one was released after six months of secret detention, while the other two remain disappeared.

“The disappearances are well-documented and reported, yet the government persists in this abhorrent practice with no regard for the rule of law,” said Brad Adams, Asia director for HRW.

“Bangladesh security forces appear to have a free hand in detaining people, deciding on their guilt or innocence, and determining their punishment, including whether they have the right to be alive.”

The Bangladesh government should immediately stop this widespread practice of enforced disappearances, order prompt, impartial, and independent investigations into these allegations, provide answers to families, and prosecute security forces responsible for such egregious rights violations, HRW said.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan rejected the findings of the report and said: "Security forces produced everyone in court within 24 hours of detention. I am not aware of any exception.”

He claimed that ‘overenthusiastic’ security personnel 'who acted on their own' faced trial for their misconduct.

The report also documents the continuing disappearance of 19 opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP activists. The 19 men were picked up by law-enforcement authorities in eight separate incidents over a two-week period in or around Dhaka in the weeks before the January 2014 elections.

Witnesses and family members told HRW that most of the arrests were carried out by the Rapid Action Battalion or the Detective Branch or DB. In the case of the 19 opposition party members, witnesses said that eight were taken by RAB, six by DB, and the rest by unknown security forces.

Another case is that of Sajedul Islam Sumon, a local BNP leader who disappeared on December 4, 2013, HRW said. A senior RAB official privately admitted to the family of Sumon that the victim and five others were in his custody, but were later removed by other RAB officials when he refused orders to kill them.

In addition to enforced disappearances, there is an alarming trend of deaths occurring in secret detention of state authorities, the report said. In one such case, on June 13, 2016, Shahid Al Mahmud, a student activist of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was dragged from his home and taken. Though police officers were present, they remained passive. Two weeks later, on July 1, police said they found Shahid’s body after a gunfight with criminals. Shahid’s father told HRW that the police “staged a ‘gunfight’ drama to justify the killing.”

Although the ruling Awami League party came to power in 2009 with a promise of “zero tolerance” for human rights violations, human rights organisations reported at least 320 cases of disappearances since 2009, according to the HRW report. These include political opposition members.

“The Bangladesh government is making a habit of complete disregard for human rights, human life, and the rule of law.” Adams said.

“The government doesn’t even bother denying these abuses, instead remaining silent and relying on silence from the international community in return. This silence needs to end.”